art & culture

Literally meaning “Story Play”, Kathakali (Katha-story, Kali-Play). Kathakali is usually presented in the Temple precincts after dusk. Singers vocalize the script while the players act out the play with their gestures (mudras and mughabhinaya). The riches of a happy blending of colour, expressions, music, drama and dance are unparalleled in any other art form. Kathakali

Kerala, historically known as Keralam, is a state in South India on the Malabar coast. It was formed on 1 November 1956 following the States Reorganisation Act by combining Malayalam-speaking regions. Spread over 38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi), it is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south,

The culture of Kerala is a synthesis of Aryan and Dravidian cultures, developed and mixed for centuries, under influences from other parts of India and abroad. It is defined by its antiquity and the organic continuity sustained by the Malayali people. Modern Kerala society took shape owing to migrations from different parts of India throughout

Kerala has a number of festivals, mostly related with their religious institutions. A showcase to the traditional lifestyle and performing arts of Kerala, these festivals are characterized by vibrant music and dance, elaborate elephant processions and amazing fireworks. There are Utsavas of the Hindu temples and also the Perunals of Christian and Muslim churches that

Kerala is known as the “land of Spices”. Even the Kerala cuisine is known for its spicy and hot foods. Traditionally, in Kerala food is served on a banana leaf. One has to take food with right hand. Almost every dish prepared in Kerala has coconut and spices to flavour the local cuisine giving it

Kerala, which lies in the tropic region, is mostly subject to the type of humid tropical wet climate experienced by most of Earth’s rainforests. Meanwhile, its extreme eastern fringes experience a drier tropical wet and dry climate. Kerala receives an average annual rainfall of 3107 mm – some 7,030 crore m3 of water. This compares

This well preserved wooden palace welcomes tourists and an abundant group of archeologists with its exquisite floral carvings, black glossy granite floor, magnificent 18th century murals, secret underground passage and colored mica windows. This palace showcases the richness of Travancore dynasty which ruled the southern part of Kerala. This palace is currently not in Kerala

Kerala, a state situated on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Named as one of the ten paradises of the world by National Geographic Traveler, Kerala is famous especially for its ecotourism initiatives and beautiful backwaters.Its unique culture and traditions, coupled with its

Egg Roast is an easy recipe which goes well as a side dish for any Indian bread or rice. Tips for this recipe Keep 1 cup of boiled water handy to sprinkle on the pan, if the onion gets sticky while sautéing Ingredients 4 eggs ½ tsp red chili powder ¼ tsp turmeric powder 1/4

Vegetable Masala Rice is a healthy wholesome dish which can be eaten with plain yogurt or with any other curried dish. Tips for this recipe Cooking Basmati Rice Follow the cooking instructions in the package. Based on your preference, you can use either brown or white basmati rice. If white rice, use 2 cups of

Moong Dal with Tomatoes is a healthy vegetarian curry which can be a side dish for either Rice or any Indian bread. Tips for this Recipe Cooking Dal Wash the Dal in cool (room temperature) water until the water is clear. Pour 2 cups of water in a 2 qt sauce pan or chef pan,

Salmon Filet Roasted in Masala, Onion & Tomatoes. Makes a Main dish or a side dish to rice or any Indian bread Tips for this Recipe Fresh or Frozen Salmon is ok. Follow package instructions to thaw the fish. Marinate the fish for an hour as suggested under the instructions. Use a 12 inch iron

Chakyar Koothu is a performance art from Kerala, South India. It is primarily a type of highly refined monologue where the performer narrates episodes from Hindu epics (such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata) and stories from the Puranas. Sometimes, however, it is also a traditional equivalent of the modern stand-up comedy act, incorporating commentary

Nangiar Kuthu or Nangyar Koothu is an allied traditional art of Kutiyattam, an age-old Sanskrit drama tradition of India. It is performed traditionally by the women of the Ambalavasi Nambiar community of Kerala, known as Nangyaramma, but has transcended the caste barrier since the second half of the 20th century. Nangiarkoothu, an offshoot of Kutiyattam,

Theyyam (Teyyam, Theyyattam ) is a popular ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu area (consisting of present-day Kasargod, Kannur Districts, Mananthavady Taluk of Wayanad and Vadakara and Koyilandy Taluks of Kozhikode of Kerala) and also in Kodagu and Tulu nadu of Karnataka as a living cult with

Panchavadyam, literally meaning an orchestra of five instruments, is basically a temple art form that has evolved in Kerala. Of the five instruments, four timila, maddalam, ilathalam and idakka belong to the percussion category, while the fifth, kombu, is a wind instrument. Much like any chenda melam, panchavadyam is characterised by a pyramid-like rhythmic structure

Ottan Thullal is a dance and poetic performance form of Kerala, India. It was introduced in the 18th century by Kunchan Nambiar, one of the Prachina Kavithrayam (three famous Malayalam language poets). It is accompanied by a mridangam (a barrel shaped double headed drum) or an idakka (drum and cymbal). Ottamthullal has its origins in

Vallam Kali is a traditional boat race in Kerala, India. It is a form of canoe racing, and uses paddled war canoes. It is mainly conducted during the season of the harvest festival Onam in autumn. Vallam Kali includes races of many kinds of paddled longboats, the traditional boats of Kerala. The race of Chundan

Vishu is a Hindu festival primarily celebrated in the Indian state of Kerala, which marks the beginning of the new year. It is also celebrated as Bisu in Tulunadu regions like the Kasargod district of Kerala, Mangalore and Udupi district of Karnataka, India. Vishu signifies the Hindu New Year and falls on the month of

Makaravilakku is an annual festival held on 14 January (Makar Sankranti) in Kerala, India at the shrine of Sabarimala. The festival includes the Thiruvabharanam (sacred ornaments of Ayyappan) procession and a congregation at the hill shrine of Sabarimala. An estimated half a million devotees flow to Sabarimala every year to have a darshan (vision) of

The Indo-American Center (IAC) is a non-profit, non-partisan think tank, dedicated to strengthening the strategic partnership emerging between India and the US. Through initiatives focused on expanding commerce and trade, augmenting a security alliance, and advancing educational and civil society initiatives, we believe these two nations can mutually benefit and contribute to the global economy.

DISCOVER AND EXPERIENCE YOUR ORIGIN Seek and experience your roots during your summer holidays. A Golden Opportunity for Middle & High school students. Pack your bag and join your friends for a three weeks’ thrilling and once in life time experience at affordable cost. Program organized by FOMAA (Federation of Malayalee Associations in Americas) (www.fomaa.org)

Kerala Beaches Kerala Beaches unfurl along the entire stretch of the western coast of the state of Kerala, from the tip of the borders of Cape Comorin in the south to the Ezhimala beach in the northern district of Kasargode. The beautiful coastline fringed with palm trees offers more than a dozen breath-taking beaches, some

Kerala lives along these backwaters. They snake over the state physique, bestowing paddy fields with good harvests, and provide the whole village with drinking water and other facilities. The backwaters refer to the large inland lakes of Kerala. Today these backwaters act as vital water ways for the transport of people and produce. Kerala Backwaters

Kerala’s history is closely linked with its commerce, which until recent times revolved around its spice trade. Celebrated as the Spice Coast of India, ancient Kerala played host to travellers and traders from across the world including the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, French and the British. Almost all of them have left their

With the Arabian Sea in the west, the Western Ghats towering 500-2700 m in the east and networked by forty-four rivers, Kerala enjoys diverse geographical features. Kerala is divided into three geographical regions: Highlands, which slope down from the Western Ghats onto the Midlands of undulating hills and valleys into an unbroken coastline with many

Puttu is a South Indian and Kerala breakfast dish of steamed cylinders of ground rice layered with coconut. It is highly popular in the Indian state of Kerala as well as in many areas of Sri Lanka, where it is also known as pittu. Puttu is served with side dishes such as palm sugar or

Sadhya is a variety of pure vegetarian dishes traditionally served on a banana leaf in Kerala, India. Sadhya means banquet in Malayalam. It is a feast prepared mainly by men, especially when needed in large quantities, for weddings and other special events. During a traditional Sadhya celebration people are seated cross-legged on mats. Food is

The popularly celebrated festival of Kerala is Onam which is celebrated either during the months August or September. The festival lasts for 10 days and the people celebrate it well by singing, dancing and engaging in various religious functions. It is a harvest festival and this denotes the arrival of the legendary king Mahabali who

Malayalam is the language of Kerala and is one among the 22 official languages in India. About 35 million people speak malayalam and stands in eighth position depending upon the total number of speakers. LanguageThe people who speak malayalam are called malayalees. The natives of Lakshadweep which is a union territory on the western coast

Kerala’s history is closely linked with its commerce, which until recent times revolved around its spice trade. Celebrated as the Spice Coast of India, ancient Kerala played host to travellers and traders from across the world including the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, French and the British. Almost all of them have left their

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into

Munnar is a town and hill station located in the Idukki district of the southwestern Indian state of Kerala. Munnar is situated at around 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) above sea level, in the Western Ghats range of mountains. The name Munnar is believed to mean “three rivers”, referring to its location at the confluence of

Ayurveda medicine, is a system of medicine with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. Globalized and modernized practices derived from Ayurveda traditions are a type of complementary or alternative medicine. In the Western world, Ayurveda therapies and practices (which are manifold) have been integrated in general wellness applications and as well in some cases in

Pongala is a harvest festival of Kerala and Tamilnadu. The name ‘Pongala’ means ‘to boil over’ and refers to the ritualistic offering of porridge made of rice, sweet brown molasses, coconut gratings, nuts and raisins. Generally women devotees participate in this ritual.Tamil people celebrate as Pongal.

Vagamon is a hill station located in Kottayam-Idukki border of Idukki district of Kerala, India. It has a cool climate with the temperature between 10 and 23 °C during a summer midday. It is situated 1,100 metres above sea level. Vagamon was discovered by the British who found the place ideal for tea plantations, they

Bharananganam, an important pilgrim centre in South India, is located on the banks of Meenachil river, 5 km east of Pala in Kottayam district. Bharananganam and surrounding places are bestowed with natural beauty due to hilly areas and lot of vegetation. Agriculture is the main occupation of the people, who cultivate plantation crops such as

One of the most important pilgrim centres of the Christians in Kerala, popularly known as St. Sebastian Church, 22 kms. north of Alleppey.This church was established by Portuguese missionaries, which is near Sherthallai. Arthunkal is a small seaside village, about 8 kilometre west of Cherthala and 22 kilometre north of the sleepy Alappuzha town, in

Malayattoor is a village in the North Eastern corner of Ernakulam District in the state of Kerala in South India. The name `Malayattoor’ is an amalgamation of three small words. Mala (Mountain) Arr (River) Oore (Place). This is to say, Malayattoor is a meeting place of mountain, river, and land. Malayattoor a meeting place of

Vallarpadam is one among the group of islands, that form a part of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is situated in the Vembanad Lake, locally known as The Kochi Lake and has a population of over 10,000. Vallarpadam is one of the two islands, the other being Willingdon Island, around which the

Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Krishna (an avatar of the god Vishnu), located in the town of Guruvayur in Kerala, India. It is one of the most important places of worship for Hindus of Kerala and is often referred to as “Bhuloka Vaikunta” which translates to the “Holy

The Chottanikkara Temple is a famous temple of the Hindu mother goddess Bhagawati. The temple is located near Ernakulam in the southern Indian state of Kerala and is one of the most popular temples in the state and in terms of temple architecture, this temple stands out to be an ultimate testmonial for the ancient

Attukal is a Hindu pilgrimage centre in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is situated about two kilometres to the south east from Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram City. The Attukal Bhagavathy Temple, one of the ancient temples of South India, is popularly described as Sabarimala of the Women, as women form the major portion of devotees

Believed to be the first mosque in India, Cheraman Juma Masjid where the Juma prayers were started is situated in Methala Village of Kodungalloor taluk in the state of Kerala. Built around 629 AD, the mosque is unique in its appearance as it is based on a mixture of Arab and traditional Kerala art and

Malik Dinar Mosque is a historical mosque in Kasargod district of Kerala state,south India. Over the years, Kasargod acquired the considerable importance as a centre of Islam on the west coast. It is the site of one of the mosques believed to have been founded by Malik Ibn Dinar. The mosque, Juma Masjid, which is

This holy place of muslim pilgrimage lies about five kilometres southwest of Central Railway Station of Trivandrum , on the shoreline towards Poonthura. This famous place of worship is dedicated to Beema Beevi, a religious Muslim lady who is was bestowed with miraculous spiritual powers. She is a member of the family of Prophet Mohammed

This temple holds testimony to the cultural affluence of the temples ofKerala. The beautiful and intricate murals and fine architecture are major attractions to the tourists as well as connoisseurs of art. Ettumanoor (sometimes referred as Ettumanur ) is a major town in Kottayam District of Kerala, India, located 11 kilometers north-east of Kottayam town,

Located in Trissur district, this is the venue of an annual temple festival. In this grand event, two rows of magnificently decorated tuskers, stand facing each other, while drummers beat out a traditional rhythm and representatives of the temples raise colored parasols over the elephants, bearing the images of the deities of neighboring temples. It

A historically significant temple in Kerala, it was here that people of the so-called lower castes challenged Hindu orthodoxy that prevented them from entering temples, by entering the Vaikom temple to offer prayers, in 1928 after the intervention of Mahatma Gandhi. The Vaikom temple is a temple of Lord Shiva in Kerala in South India.

This temple with Lord Vishnu as its principal deity, is located in Thiruvananthapuram. It is known for its architectural excellence. The erstwhile Maharajas of Travancore offered prayers at this splendidly carved temple. The Padmanabhaswamy temple, also known as the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple is a famous Hindu temple of Lord Vishnu, located inside the Fort in

Thrikkuratti Mahadeva Temple is located at Mannar,an upcoming business town mid way between Mavelikara and Tiruvalla, in Alappuzha District of Kerala state, India, on State highway no. 6. It is situated on the banks of the Pamba River. It is one of the famous 108 Sivalayas built by Lord Parasurama. It is believed that the

Kerala is on the southernmost tip of India. It stretches along the coast of the Arabian Sea and is separated from the rest of the sub continent by the steep Western Ghats. The state lies between 80 18 ' and 120 48 ' north latitude and 740 52' and 770 22' east longitude. Kerala enjoysREAD MORE

It is the typical dance form of Kerala. Mohini means enchantress and attam is dance. As the name denotes, it is an amorous (Lasya) dance performed in slow, elegant and sensuous pace with formulated hand gestures translating the song to which it is performed.

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About Keralam

Kerala, a state on India's tropical Malabar Coast, has nearly 600km of Arabian Sea shoreline. It's known for its palm-lined beaches and its backwaters, a network of canals popular for cruises. Its many upscale seaside resorts include specialists in Ayurvedic treatments. Inland are the Western Ghats, a mountain range whose slopes support tea, coffee and spice plantations as well as abundant native wildlife.